4-Alarm Vegetation Fire Damages Homes Near I-80 In Vallejo
VALLEJO (CBS SF) -- A four-alarm vegetation fire sparked by a car fire on Interstate Highway 80 near the Carquinez Bridge in Vallejo threatened homes and blocked traffic Thursday afternoon.
Multiple homes were damaged in the blaze, located in the Glen Cove neighborhood, the Vallejo Fire Department said.
Four homes on Barington Drive at Bayhurst Drive were minimally affected by the fire. The roof of at least one home sustained visible fire damage. The backyards of numerous homes were also damaged in the blaze.
Vallejo fire officials said a car fire on eastbound I-80, just east of the bridge toll plaza, was reported at 12:45 p.m. and the fire spread to the hillside.
All lanes of eastbound I-80, east of the Carquinez Bridge (also known as Al Zampa Bridge) toll plaza, were blocked as of 1:33 p.m. Traffic was being let through slowly as of 2:30 p.m., but the right lanes remained blocked.
Fire officials said three vegetation fires burned simultaneously in the area.
As of 4:30 p.m., the four-alarm fire burned 39.5 acres and was fully contained, according to city officials.
Homes and cars on Crestview Court, near the Swanzy Reservoir, were covered with pinkish-red flame retardant dropped from above by firefighting crews.
The Red Cross is assisting those impacted by the fire and have set up a meeting point in the parking lot of Joseph H. Wardlaw Elementary School at 1698 Oakwood Ave.
The blaze also prompted the City of Vallejo to activate its Emergency Operations Center.
Vallejo firefighters urged people evacuating the affected area not to leave by vehicle, as firefighters' hose lines were blocking the roadways.
Fire officials said their resources were depleted and that more fire agencies were coming in to assist them. Cal Fire, Fairfield, Cordelia, Vacaville, Benicia, Crockett, and American Canyon, all responded.
In addition to firefighters, residents were seen using their own hoses to protect their properties.
The fire comes while an excessive heat warning is active in North Central California, including Vallejo, until 11 p.m. Friday.
Residents are trying to understand why it took so long for firefighters to get to the scene, the answer may lie in the fact that a couple years ago the city of Vallejo went bankrupt and closed the fire house closest to Thursday's blaze.
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